The Bat, The Cat, and The Claw
by Got Frostbyte
Summary: Bruce Wayne meets the mysterious Selina Kyle, meanwhile, Batman comes face to face with the masked Catwoman. Are these two women related? And how? Now, the terrorist known is Red Claw threatens Gotham City. Can Batman save the day?


-1"Dressed to kill," perhaps was what the headlines would shout. Every entertainment media would rate a perfect ten to score the new heiress. "Absolutely stunning!" "Steals the show!" Selina Kyle was the newest face of the upper class in Gotham City. Her fortune was a mystery, but no one ever challenges the rich and powerful. As the black Rolls Royce pulled up to the entrance of Gotham's Annual Charity Ball, cameras flashed, reporters got excited. Who was in that car? Another celebrity? A politician? No, even better. As Maggie opened the door, a slender leg slid out. The black high heel shoe wrapped elegantly around her ankle to end in a lovely bow in the back. Following the leg came the woman.

As she emerged from the car, Selina Kyle's crimson lips parted to show brilliantly white teeth in a dazzling smile. Her pale skin was flawless, contrasting against her almond shaped ocean blue eyes, lined with dark eye liner and luxurious eyelashes, while being dusted by a soft blue eye shadow. Her lovely blonde hair was drawn back completely from her face in a tight bun, held in by a diamond crested hair piece. The dress Selina Kyle wore was a classic black, perfect for any occasion of the night and only enhanced her mysterious and breath taking beauty. The dress was strapless with a corset style bodice with embroidered black roses and an elegant black skirt which bore a slit up to her thigh. As a dramatic contrast to the black, Selina Kyle wore a choker of diamonds, matching bracelet and earrings which shimmer in even the dullest of light. She generously waved and greeted the crowd as she made her way into the ball.

Everyone knew Selina Kyle supported protecting the wildlife, especially the large felines. In the ball, Selina mingled amidst many crowds, greeting other guest and starting small talk. As the newest face in money, she had to make herself known, and more importantly liked (or feared, she worked either way). Selina moved with the beauty and grace of deadly cat. She was confident in herself and others responded to that confidence with respect. Well versed in current events, Selina led other aristocrats on in deep conversation with witty repartee and insights to their way of thinking. With every change in subject, Selina Kyle learned how to manipulate the people present, how to get them to see her as a friend. With casual jokes, Selina's musical laugh charmed her company like a siren's song. This, of course, was all to gather information on people for Catwoman to rob. She felt no remorse for what she would do when these same people were least expecting her. Climbing the social chain wasn't as hard as she had expected.

As the party went into full swing, she was once more talking with a group when an older woman called for Selina's attention. "Ms. Selina Kyle, I would like to introduce you to Bruce Wayne. Bruce is the owner of the world renowned Wayne Enterprises." Selina turned to look at this Bruce Wayne expecting to find a middle aged...or old...man. To her surprise, however, she found a handsome young man still in his prime. Their eyes met and Selina found herself lost in his dark gaze. "A pleasure to meet you, Ms. Kyle." He smiled, not the fake political smile most business men had mastered, rather a warm, honest smile, the kind of smile one rarely shared with the world. "Like wise, Mr. Wayne." Selina returned his smile. He watched her as though one would appreciate a piece of art rather than the way a dog might eye a slab of meat. Finally, he spoke again. "Do you dance, Ms. Kyle?" Bruce Wayne extended his hand to her. Selina took a second to find her voice, then smiled and gave a short nod of her head. "Yes, I do, Mr. Wayne." He smiled again. "Please, call me Bruce." Selina smiled again. "Bruce." She repeated. What was wrong with her? This man seemed to hold a spell over her. His dark eyes seemed to hold both mystery and sadness in the darkest shadows, hidden away behind the prim and proper presentation he gave to the world. Bruce Wayne captivated her.

Blondes always have more fun, it was a rule. But Selina wasn't a bottle blonde, nor a blonde bimbo as suggested in all the clichés. She was more of a Marilyn Monroe type, a classy dame with good style and taste. But who wouldn't be jealous? Who couldn't help but to be jealous, even if only a little envious? However, in the arms of Bruce Wayne, a girl couldn't help but let go for a little bit. She spun on the dance floor, a flash of thigh, a flutter of her heart. Her movement was elegant and sleek as she moved in time with her dance partner. His strong hands were rougher than she would have expected from a prince of Gotham, but hers weren't as smooth as silk either. Bruce knew this dance well. Each movement of the pair was flawless as they moved as one to the spirited waltz. On lookers stopped in they track to witness the dancers as they swayed to the passion of the music. And when at last they spun into their last step, applause swept across the ball room. Selina and Bruce took a bow. The lights grew dim as a man stepped onto the stage. "Now, for the main event, ladies and gentlemen...This is a Charity Ball, after all, and we are here to do our best in helping Mother Earth and all her creatures."

Bruce offered his arm to Selina. She looped her arm easily with his and the pair made their way to the stage. "Tonight, we will have a bachelor auction to benefit the nature preserve." The announcer began as he waved his hands, encouraging all the single guys to come on stage. Bruce gave Selina a sheepish expression that said simply, "I'm sorry, but I have to do this." Selina offered an understanding smile and released his arm. Bruce stepped away from the enchanting blonde woman and made his way to the stage. The bidding began at one hundred dollars, but that number rose dramatically as all the young women vied for the most eligible bachelor in all of Gotham City. However, as the bidding reached its peak, a voice rang out above the rest. Selina Kyle made her bid and no one challenged her. "Sold!" The auctioneer declared. "Bruce Wayne now belongs to the lovely Selina Kyle. Bruce, you lucky dog, you." The man chuckled as Bruce managed a heart stopping smile that made women swoon. Selina smiled in return, crossing her arms as she regarded the young billionaire.

Stepping off stage, Bruce wove through the crowd until he was once more face to face with Selina Kyle. "So, where should we go?" He lifted his eyebrows in question. Selina let out a soft chuckle. "Are you game for a lunch date?" She regarded her watch with a quick glance before looking back at Bruce. He ran his hand over his mouth, making a show of thinking. With another smile, he chuckled. "I think I can do that. Noon?" Selina nodded. "Noon would be fine. I'll see you there." She reached up, kissing Bruce lightly on the cheek. "Now, I regretfully must leave. I had a wonderful time, Bruce." Bruce nodded, looking a little saddened that she was leaving. "Be safe, then, I hear there's a real nut loose on the city." Selina smiled. "I can take care of myself, Bruce, don't worry. Besides, there's Batman out there as well." Bruce could not help but smile. At least he had one fan. "Then, goodnight, Selina. I look forward to our date." Bruce caught her hand in his own and gently kissed her knuckles. A rosy blush crossed over Selina's cheeks. "I can hardly wait." With that said, Selina made her way to the waiting car. Inside, a bag awaited her. She prepared for her night on the town.

High above the city streets, far from the crime and chaos that Gotham had become, a solitary figure crouched on the belfry of Gotham City's cathedral. The stink of the city was far from this spot and she loved it. Crimson red lips curled upward in a vulpine smile against pale, white flesh that was left exposed by the hood of a black (appropriately named) cat suit. City lights reflected off the frames of her goggles, illuminating the beautiful, but captivating blue eyes of the woman underneath the cat burglar. Slowly she stood, the soft protest of her outfit squeaked against her movements, as one hand found the hilt of her whip. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Catwoman was in town.

She came to the edge of the belfry and peered over. It was a nasty fall, of course, for the untrained. But Catwoman/Selena was no novice, she was a professional...as professional as they come. The sleek mink leapt from the tower and sailed through the air. With agile grace, she flipped midair and snapped her whip. The whip, something one might use for lion taming, reached a good distance. It was made strong and thick, a good quality of leather, unlike the dinky little toys found in stores. The whip wrapped around a flag pole of the Gotham's Museum. The cat was going shopping. It took little to no effort to break in, Selena was, after all, an expert thief.

She dropped in from the sky light and landed gracefully on the ground; one knee to the floor, her hands braced on either side of her body, palms spread. Catwoman placed her whip it its rightful place on her belt, where it could be easily reached. A smiled spread across her face once more. Slowly, silently, Catwoman crept through the dark museum. Each step was taken with caution, every move was calculated as the cat found the item she sought. Amidst the display of Ancient Egypt, a golden statuette of Bastet, the Egyptian cat goddess, sat. Catwoman careful examined the security of the display and stifled a chuckle. Cautiously, she slipped through the defenses. At last, her long, slender fingers wrapped around the neck of a golden Bastet. And in a flash Catwoman and the cat were gone.

On the roof top once more, now with her treasure in hand, Catwoman took in a deep breath. "Like candy from a baby." She mused with a soft, victorious laugh. Her gaze turned to look out at the city with all its crime and glory combined. The rich got richer and the poor got poorer every day, crime got worse and the law meant nothing. What a sad town. With that, Catwoman reached for her whip. With a snap, she lashed that leather rope out across the street to a lamp post. With a leap of faith, Catwoman was off. Then a thought flashed across her mind: there was that one dark figure fighting for the good of the city...She couldn't wait to meet him, it, whatever

this "Batman" was.

With a thud, Batman landed on the Gotham clock tower. He sat perched there as the wind blew from behind, causing his cape to dance around him rather than behind. He looked down on his city as his silhouette could be seen against the large moon. The dark sentinel was on duty. There was still hope for Gotham, and it lived in Batman

Catwoman leapt from roof top to roof top, her treasure in hand. Past the old clock tower, she stopped and watched. There was the masked mystery known as the Batman. "Perrrfect." Catwoman smiled as she crouched down on the ledge of a building across the street.

Batman eyes wandered as he could hear the sirens in the distance. Suddenly, he caught sight of a strange figure on the roof top across the street from him. It appeared to be a shapely woman. Narrowing his eyes at her to get a better look, Batman noticed that he had already gotten her attention. Who was she, so beautiful, yet so mysterious? He had never, ever encountered another costumed prowler.

As he sat there, the two just stared at each other, letting the mystery build. They both watched motionless, seemingly waiting for the other to approach. Finally, Batman decided to investigate this curvy catlike woman. The dark knight leapt from his perch and glided down to the building below, where the mysterious feline was waiting for him. He landed behind her, and remained silent as he took her in.

Catwoman twisted around to face this mysterious bat. She still clutched the priceless treasure in her hand while her other hand rested on her hip. Her crimson lips curled back in a charming smile. "So, this is the great Batman."

Batman examined her, and noticed that she was armed and dangerous. Not to mention she had a priceless artifact. So, he was the great Batman...He was not great in his eyes. "Some would call me great...but there are those who would say otherwise." He narrowed his eyes at the artifact. "Doing a little late night shopping I see...and who may you be...The Cat?" He asked, taking a stab in the dark. There certainly was something magnetic about this woman.

"So the Bat has a sense of humor?" Catwoman gave a snort in amusement. "Who would have guessed." She spoke flatly, but smiled nuzzling the Bastet statue. "I just couldn't help myself, I'm an impulsive shopper. Call me...Catwoman."

Batman cocked his eye brow at her, although she couldn't see it. He walked up to her slowly, yet very calmly. His movements were stoic. "So tell me...what else have you taken on impulse tonight...or had enough fun for one outing…" His voice was low, deep, hypnotic. "...Catwoman."

"Wouldn't you like to know." Catwoman smiled slyly. She took a step back off the ledge. Falling, the feline back flipped, snagging the railing of the fire escape. Sliding down the ladder, Catwoman leapt off to land on a bench. All the while, her laughter echoed through the empty streets.

An intrigued Batman waited a moment before giving chase. The dark knight glided down on the cat's trail, wanting to know more. Bruce landed on the fire escape just above her. Little did he know that these games of tag would become a Batman and Catwoman tradition.

He was amazed at the thought of someone who might be able to match his talents. "Wait...what are you." He asked. His cape hung down in front of her, as he looked down and locked his eyes with her ocean blues.

Catwoman smiled in earnest, thrilled by the chase itself. A little breathless. "I already told you, I'm Catwoman." With that, she darted across the street, into an abandoned building, a perfect place for hiding. And an even better place to toy with the Dark Knight.

Bruce narrowed his eyes at her when she purposely gave him an evasive answer. She was mysterious, in a sexy kind of way. Batman followed her into the building, through an open window. He looked around to see no one. She must have been hiding in the shadows. Batman stood at the window ledge knowing she was hidden somewhere near by.

He gave a sly smirk, she was using his own tactic against him. "And what are your plans for that little item you so casually carry around. Something tasteful no doubt."

Catwoman smiled as she came to stand before a door. "For me to know and maybe for you to find out." With that she threw open the door and darted down the hall. It was an empty building, condemned, and scheduled for demolition. Catwoman ran a series of zig-zag routes through the halls before standing totally silent, hidden amidst the shadows.

A thrilled Batman gave chase once again, but lost the young woman in a midst of shadows and zig-zags. He stood in the are she was, not knowing exactly where she was. "I have to admit...you're a lot more interesting than the usual sociopath." Batman walked into the shadows and out of her sight. A few seconds passed by, but soon Batman was right behind her. He barbed both of her arms and pulled her body tightly to his front, not letting her go. He whispered into her ear. "...But my interest in you doesn't change the fact that you're going to have to give that back." Batman was unaware that this Catwoman was more than capable of striking him down.

The cat just smiled. "I'm no sociopath, then again, maybe I am. What normal people dress up and wear masks every night?" Her smile broadened. She threw back her leg between his legs for a swift kick to the groin, all the while throwing back her head to nail him in the face.

Batman winced at the shot to the groin, and then grunted at the shot to the face. In pain, he let her go and fell to a knee. Taking a breath he looked up at her with a thin trail of blood streaming from his lip. "You're just full of surprises, aren't you." Batman got to his feet and lunged at Catwoman. He tackled the vixen to the floor and startled her waist to pin her. He grabbed both of her wrists and looked down at the woman with a gentle grin. It was a pretty...strange position. "Do we have to do this the hard way…" He asked. He knew that this would not end with him getting the artifact.

"I always did like it rough." Catwoman replied with a smirk. "But you don't seem to take too well to pain." With that, she reached up and gently licked to blood from his lips. In one, swift movement, she brought up her knee to hit him hard in the back.

Batman gave a low moan when she struck his back. She forced him off of her and he rolled on the ground. As the pain faded, he lay on his back looking up. He gave a sigh. He knew it was too good to be true. He spoke almost silently. "I guess that means the hard way."

Selena stood over him, looking down. With a smile, she placed her boot firmly on his chest. In one hand, she held the golden statue and in her other hand, she held her whip. "Kinky, isn't it?" Catwoman laughed. Before he could respond, she darted through the nearest window. Glass shattered and flew all over as the cat burglar landed on the next door build's roof top. She rolled across the roof and jumped to her feet and took off.

Batman looked up at her as she placed her foot on his chest. Not hard, of course. They seemed to have a mutual respect for each other...Maybe it was more, maybe not. Before he could get out his witty reply, she laughed at her own comment. The second she took her foot from his chest, Batman did a kick up and got to his feet. He ran after Catwoman, but she leapt out a window. Batman did not follow. He just watched her stunning figure as she danced through the sky and out of sight. As he watched her mesmerized, he spoke quietly to himself. "Wow...What was that…?"

After she was sure the dark knight was not still in pursuit, Catwoman slowed her pace. She dropped to the fire escape and climbed downward to the city street bellow. Sliding into the shadows of a dark alley, she let out a long sigh.

Batman leapt from the building and went on to finish out the night. By coincidence, he stumbled upon Catwoman. Without letting her know, Batman made his way down to a ladder just behind her. Staying in the cover of darkness, the bat hung upside down by his feet, so his face was directly behind hers. "Boo." He whispered. "You seem to have a knack for survival."

Catwoman twisted around, automatically stepping into a combat stance. When she saw who it was, she relaxed. "I have nine lives. What about you?" She smiled slyly.

When she asked him how many lives he had, he was quick to respond. "Only time will tell how long my life will be...But Batman will live forever, in one way or another." Still hanging upside down, only inches from her, he asked a somewhat personal question. "So tell me, why cats…" He asked wondering why she had chosen to portray a feline.

A Cheshire cat smile crossed her face. "Why a bat?" Catwoman canted her head to one side, watching him in return. She ran her fingers over his lips. "Why hide behind a mask at all?"

Batman's eyes became very distant as he thought about her question. Still hanging there upside down, she ran her fingers over his lips playfully. "There is no man behind this mask...he died a long time ago." Batman wondered what she was getting at. "Why? Would you like to get to know the man behind the bat?" he asked.

"You just said there is no man behind the bat." Catwoman pointed out with a purr. Her eyes glittered from behind her goggles. "Or are you just afraid to show your face?"

"I lied..." He said, smirking at Catwoman. "If the world knew who Batman was...the man beneath would never be able to live in peace...and everyone attached to him would be in danger. Cats included...besides, it adds a certain element of...thrill. Don't you agree? And what about you, What is the deal with the woman beyond the glasses." Batman was genuinely intrigued by her.

"She is none of your business." The cat purred in a gravelly voice as she lounged back against the wall of the building across from the Batman. "Why are you so curious?" She curled up one side of her mouth in a smirk.

Batman came down from the ladder and was now upright. He stood strong and straight, as Catwoman seemed to be a little more relaxed. "Because I've never met anyone who parades around the city roof tops, hidden behind a mask...Just like me." He said narrowing his eyes at her. Batman walked up to her slowly. "And what about you...why were you watching me back there." He said referring to when he was poised on the clock tower. "I seemed to have caught your interest."

"Are you trying to seduce me?" Catwoman gave a bark of laughter. "You are not the only masked figure in the world." She clutched the statue tight in her hand. "I was on the look out. I did steal this statue, did I not? And you are the notorious crime fighter, are you not?"

"Me? Try to seduce you...? Don't flatter yourself." He said in his deep voice, but he was only teasing. Batman took out his grapple and shot it into the sky before looking at Catwoman. "Consider yourself lucky, Cat. This time you can walk, but the next may not be so friendly." He gave her a grin. Still holding his grapple, Bruce walked up to her and leaned in as if he was about to kiss her. At the very last moment, just before his lips could touch hers, he moved and whispered something into her ear. "I'll see you around, Catwoman." With that he stepped back and let his grapple pull him into the sky.

Catwoman smiled, watching him retreat. She looked down at the gold statue and smirked. "Some hero, he let me go with the prize." Catwoman muttered to herself. She pulled out her whip and snapped it out at the light post. She swung from the light post to an adjacent building and began roof top hopping again. About three blocks over, Catwoman dropped to the ground. Ducking into an alley, one where a duffel bag was precariously hidden, she changed from cat to woman. Then made her way down the street.

It was almost noon. Selina Kyle rolled out of bed with a groan. Her mane of golden locks were tangled about her pale features. The faint smudges of the previous night's make-up still was still present, giving her dark lines under her eyes and a faint streak of red lipstick. Catwoman had come in too tired to really care about her make-up when it was all under a mask. Selina rolled out of bed with a soft moan, her aching muscles protesting her sudden movements. On her dresser, a golden Bastet sat, watching her with ruby eyes. A Cheshire cat smile spread across her face as Selina examined the golden cat. "Well, you are a real catch, aren't you?" She sighed as a dreamy look crossed her face. "Too bad I didn't ensnare myself a Bat as well."

A soft laugh escaped her lips as she left her bed room. Maggie was already preparing breakfast. "You've made the front page." She called. Selina picked up the newspaper to fine the blurry black image of a human figure in the museum. "With all the crime in Gotham, you'd think they'd be tired of putting it on the front page." She spread open the newspaper to find the charity ball with a spectacular image of her and Bruce Wayne dancing. "Now, the little prince isn't that bad either." She examined his face. "He has strong eyes, full of secrets. I can't wait to find out what's he hiding." Maggie handed Selina a cup of coffee. "You're dates in thirty minutes." Selina groaned, turning back to her bedroom to get dressed. "Maggie, call Anderson and find out about that wildlife preserve."

Else where, a new villain was in town. His name was Red Claw, the infamous terrorist. Red Claw was a ruthless killer who held cities for ransom. Born and raised Russian, his heart was as cold as ice. He was so skilled, the world had no idea what he looked like or knew that he…was a she. She was an Amazon of a woman with a pale, muscular form. Her eyes were ice blue, contrasting dramatically with her raven black hair. To get a fairly accurate image of Red Claw, imagine Xena and put her in a ninja uniform, not the leather. The Russian terrorist cradled a canister of glowing green liquid. "Gotham City will pay dearly to save themselves. Demyan, Fyodor, take this to the labs at once, I want enough to blanket the western coast." Red Claw tossed the glowing canister to the scientist who caught it quickly, a look of horror across their faces. They nodded. "Yes, sir." They turned and left. "Now, to find some remote area where no one would notice our activities." Red Claw smiled.

Bruce adjusted his tie as he approached the apartment complex where Selina Kyle lived. It was a ritzy building with a door man who seemed to instantly recognize the prince of Gotham. "Miss Kyle is expecting you, sir." He pulled open the door as a look of confusion crossed Bruce's face. Did she see him coming from a mile away? "Room 1017, sir." The door man added. Bruce nodded, passing through the etched glass door held by the door man into an expensively furnished lobby. "Thank you." The brass elevator doors opened and a bellboy met Bruce's gaze. "Room 1017, whichever that floor is, please." Bruce called out as he stepped into the cramped space of the elevator. "Right away." The bellboy punched in the tenth floor. The old fashioned elevator slid from one level to another as the panel of buttons blinked off with the passing of their respective floors. Finally, the elevator jerked to halt at the tenth floor. With a loud ding, the doors slid open and Bruce Wayne stepped out. He slid the bellboy a small tip before making the long march to Ms. Selina Kyle's apartment.

The ring of the door bells brought Maggie from the kitchen. She opened the door to find Bruce Wayne waiting patiently, hands in his pockets with his black hair slicked back and a charming smile across his face. Selina hooked herself a good looker this time. Too bad she was hooked on the masked Bat. "Oh, Bruce, you're early!" Selina came from the bedroom with her arms behind her head, fastening the latch on a pearl necklace. Her long, blonde hair was parted to one side with a simple hair comb holding it back from her face. She smiled warmly. Bruce smiled in return. "I'm sorry, I could hardly restrain myself." He extended his hand to her and Selina place her hand within his. Bruce gently place her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. "What were you in the mood for?" He lifted his eyebrows in question, returning his hands to his pockets. Selina rolled her eyes to the ceiling in thought. "How do you like Italian?" Bruce smiled. "Italian would be great." He held out his arm and Selina looped her arm with his.

The Italian restaurant was not far from Selina's apartment. It was very contemporary with frosted glass and wood furniture. As the drinks were handed to the couple, Bruce could not seem to keep his eyes off of Selina Kyle. "So, Selina, what do you think of this Catwoman character?" Unfortunately or perhaps conveniently, Selina's cell phone rang. She politely stepped out of the dining area while she talked. Upon returning, Bruce knew what was going to come next. "I'm sorry, Bruce, I'm afraid I'll have to take a rain check. There's some business I must take care of."

Shortly thereafter…

Catwoman sailed over the busy streets of Gotham City. Her sleek, black form stood out against the buildings of stone and glass. Those red lips curled into a cunning smirk as she caught sight of another dark form in close pursuit. "Sorry, Batman, I have chores to do!" She smiled as her high heeled boots swung around with the intent to catch him in the side.

Batman blocked her kick, hard, forcing his forearm into her heel. Before she could do anything he grabbed her neck with one hand, but not hard, he did not want to choke her. "I just want to talk...unless you want to continue this game of manhunt?" He said.

"I don't have time for this, Batsie." Catwoman purred, looking at him from the corner of her eye. "Things to do and what not, darling." He pulled her body tight to his and whispered into her ear in a rough voice. "...Time is not the issue right now..." His body molded to hers as they came together. "I'll make this quick then...Tell me what you know about Selena Kyle." Batman had done his homework, and found out a lot about the woman, but he still had no idea what the connection between her and Catwoman was. Little did he know that he was face to face with both women. "I'll leave you alone tonight, if you give me some information."

Catwoman's eyes grew wide for a moment, not that he could see from behind her goggles. Then she regained her composure. "Selena Kyle?" Catwoman gritted her teeth. "Who's the dame? Your girlfriend? I didn't know you were taken. How dare you come onto me like that!"

Batman narrowed his eyes. "Would you mind if I was?" He asked playfully. Both women were playing dumb and Batman had no way to link the two. He was going to have to do this himself. Tired of playing games he decided to speak his mind. Still holding her body he spoke. "There is something very familiar about you...both of you. I don't know what the two of you are up to...but I will find out." He said, letting her know he was watching her.

Catwoman smiled. "Aw, my own little fan club. You flatter me." She only let out a soft chuckle. "I work alone, Batman. And you'll never find out what I'm up to." She pushed herself away from him, still smiling. "Now, if you don't mind, I've got things to do."

Before Batman could respond to Catwoman, he was interrupted by something very out of the ordinary. A loud, inhuman cry came screaming from the distance. Batman's eyes moved quickly and looked past Catwoman as the screams of citizens followed. Sirens could now be heard in the distance...and he was not prepared for what would happen next. From below the rooftops, an enormous, demonic, creature flew straight up into the sky, to the horror of the people below. It appeared to be some kind of giant bat, roaring wildly as it fled the people below. "What the..." Batman said softly as he watched the frightening creature ascend. "Something tells me this thing isn't here to pick you up..." He said speaking to Catwoman as he thought rapidly of what to do. His eyes locked on Catwoman's. "Sorry sweetheart, I've got bigger problems..." He admitted. With that he shot his grapple out and set course after the new...challenge.

"Now there's something you don't see every day." Catwoman said in a flat tone as she watched the Man-Bat fly by. "He's not my ride; I have my own means of transportation." She blew a kiss. "Enjoy, honey. Ta-ta!" Catwoman jumped over another two buildings before she broke into a skylight, leaving Batman to tango with Man-Bat.Catwoman chuckled as the Man-Bat gave Batman one Hell of a fight. She crept into the building she had broken into. Despite the daylight hours, it was empty. Catwoman stepped carefully towards the desk and began pawing through paperwork. She was going to get all the dirty doings of this company so she could win the prize: the extensive plot of forest for the mountain lions.

Else where: An alarm started flashing. Someone had broken in. Red Claw turned on the monitor to see the cat burglar hard at work. "It looks like we have a thief in our midst. Take care of her." She snorted. Two thugs who looked like bouncers on steroids nodded and began walking to the door. "On second though, let's use her as a test subject. Gas her." Red Claw ordered with an amused chuckle. The thugs nodded, and then left.

Back to Catwoman: The door flew open. With a sharp hiss, Catwoman ducked down behind the desk. But it was too late. They had already seen her...or knew she was already there. Two thugs with gas masks on came barreling in. One threw what looked like an aerosol can at Catwoman. "Shit!" She cursed, trying to jump over the desk. Too late, a green cloud came spewing from the can. She coughed, but found that nothing happened; it didn't sting or make her tired. Selena growled, jumping to the skylight and climbed out.

Batman was lucky to narrowly dodge two incredibly hard swipes by his opponent. But it did not matter. No human could hurt this...thing. Sure Bruce could do damage, but he could not do anything serious, nothing to stop him. It grabbed his head with both hands and lifted him straight off the ground with ease. Like a bear, Man Bat tossed Batman into a brick wall. A crowed of people could be seen fleeing from Batman and Man Bat as they brawled. He looked to where he had seen Catwoman before, still trying to keep tabs on her as he prepared to take on this monstrosity again. Catwoman emerged from the broken skylight. He watched the curvaceous vixen as a cloud of green smoke soon followed after her, rising slowly from the window she had just come through. Something inside of him was concerned greatly for her.

Looking back and forth between Selena and Man Bat, he was divided on what to do. Batman jumped at Man Bat tackling him to the ground. In the process he managed to shove a very tiny tracking device into what was left of the pockets of Man Bats pants. Once again Batman was tossed, this time through a window. At least he could keep track of Man Bat for a bit, until the beast found the device. He got up from his pummeling slowly and looked at the empty store around him. It had been evacuated because of his fight with the bat creature. With other things to do, the giant Bat spread his wings and flew into the sky with a final warning call to his enemy.

From the rooftop, Catwoman pulled off her mask, still coughing. What the Hell was that!? She shook her head before pulling the mask back on. She felt strange... Catwoman looked for the nearest route to her balcony. With a series of leaps and acrobatics in the air, Selena made it to a balcony not far from her own before collapsing.

Bruised and battered, Batman watched as Catwoman pulled off her mask. Too far to get a very good look at her, he tried to make out who she was. Before he could do so, though, her mask was back on, and she was off. "No." He said roughly knowing that she was in danger. He quickly set out following her in a race against time. He tried desperately to keep her in sight. As he landed on a building, he watched Catwoman collapse on a balcony...not far from the place where he had met Selena Kyle this morning. Concerned he raced to her side.

With a thud, he landed next to her looking down in examination. He bent down as his cape covered her body like a blanked. He took the woman into his arms. He needed to see her eyes. He needed to check her pupils to see how bad this gas actually was. Feeling her pulse first, he looked down on her goggles knowing that she would not want her identity known. Just like Batman. But the risk was too high, he needed to help her, and although he respected her privacy, he needed to help her. He removed her goggles and opened her eyes gently as he held her. She had been drugged with something very powerful. It was the same woman that he had met earlier in the morning. Catwoman was Selena Kyle. He needed to get her back to his cave, and quickly. "...Don't worry, Selena...you're safe with me." He said softly, hoping she would accept his help when she came to. He stood up taking her into his arms and prepared to leap from the balcony.

Selena let out a cough, sounding like a cat coughing up a hairball. When she coughed, her teeth could be seen and her teeth were...pointed? Before Batman could take his leap, he was hit in the back of the head. "Sorry, chum, this little pussy belongs to us." A thick Russian accent said, scooping up Selena. "You can look for her at the zoo..." Before Batman could do anything, he was hit in the back of the head...hard. He tried to resist falling as he felt consciousness start to leave him.

He fell to one knee, gently placing Selena on the ground before noticing her teeth. Confused and weak, he fell onto his side. He heard the thick Russian accent address him as his grogginess started to fade. He tried to get to his feet...but the men had taken Selena into his own arms now. Before Batman could do anything about, they were gone...vanished. Batman looked over the balcony rail confused. "...Who was that?" he asked himself quietly. Looks like tonight he was going to make a little trip to the zoo...despite the fact that he assumed it was a trap.

When Selina woke up, she was in a cage. She felt sick to her stomach and her mind was stuck in a dense fog. Where was she? What happened to Batman and Man-Bat? Slowly her vision cleared enough that she could understand and make sense of the world around her. She was in a dark room with crates and barrels in it, a store room. Wait a minute! How could she see this well in the dark? She heard footsteps, then a door opened and a light switched on. In came the woman who did this to her, she could smell her.

"Vell, vell, it look like zhe formula worked perfectly." Red Claw peered in to Selina's cage. What did she mean by that? Selina looked down at her hands. "Rrrrreeeeooooww!" A sick sounding howl of horror escaped her lips. Her once long, slender fingers were stubby paws, her delicate hands were covered in a black fur, and her nails were CLAWS! Selina twisted about to see herself. A tail? She had a TAIL!? Her whole body was covered in fur...her lovely lips and sweet little nose had become a maw! With whiskers! Her eyes had grown large and golden in color while her hair was gone and her ears were perched neatly on the top of her head. This has to be a bad mixture of watching a werewolf movie and eating pizza before bed, Selina thought. She tried to scream, tried to curse Red Claw, but all the poured out of her mouth were growls and hisses. Nope, this was not a dream, it was REAL.

"Vell, Ms. Kyle, how do you like your new look?" Red Claw mocked her. "It is most suiting, izn't it...Catvoman?" Red Claw paced about the room. "Yes, ve have revealed your true identity vhile you vere unconscious." A cruel smiled crossed the terrorist's lips. "You have no doubt noticed your marvelous transformation. It is a biochemical veapon my scientist developed, a mutagen that changes human DNA into any chosen animal DNA. Our first test chemical vas feline, how ironic that ve captured the Catvoman. Now you truly are a cat...voman." Red Claw laughed. "Right now, you still have your human memories and intelligence, but zhat vill go quickly. Soon, you will be nothing more zhan an animal!" Selina was mortified. No! No! This can't be! She lashed out, her deadly claws sliding out from their sheaths in her stubby paw-like fingers. Her lips drew back to expose pointed fangs as a hiss escaped her throat. Red Claw jumped back, but laughed more in triumph. "Zhe little kitty is cranky. Help her get a better night's sleep." She told a thug who immediately shot Selina with a tranquilizer dart.

Red Claw brought the unconscious Catwoman to the examination room. The mutation was almost complete. There was nearly nothing human left in Selina Kyle. "Good, get zhe cameras set up." Selina slowly woke up. "People of Gotham, I, Red Claw have you under my control! The camera shifted to her. "Zhis vas a normal, average voman, but now, vith my bio-weapon mutanigent, she vill soon become fully feline. Zhese chemicals have been set all over zhe city. If you do not bend to my vill, you all vill pay!" The video would be broadcasted tomorrow. Hardly able to think in the logic of humans, Selena was become a cat, inside and out. The humans prepared to transport her to a viewing cage within the zoo. In her small cage, Selina was spread out on the floor; her tongue lulled out for the lack of lips to keep it in while she was drugged.

Night had long since covered the streets of Gotham City. Moving through the darkness with the grace of an apparition, the capped crusader made his way from rooftop to rooftop; a shadow haunting all who dared stand in his way.

Rain fell down as thunder boomed and lightning illuminated the sky. With ease Batman landed on the gates of a Zoo which had long been closed for the night hours.

He needed to know what was going on; he needed to find out what threat faced Gotham...and what threat faced Selina. Oddly enough...there was no night security. Batman walked alone down the stone path, alert and cautious.

Henchmen dressed as security guards made their way through the park dragging a large feline that looked a little too human to be an animal. The creature was clearly heavily sedated.

Batman moved into the cover of darkness when the men arrived. He watched in silence as they dragged a large creature behind them, something he had never seen before. He examined it thoroughly with his eyes. "...Selena." He assumed it was her, given the fangs he saw her mysteriously grow after being gassed with that dose of green stuff.

First a human bat terrorized the city, and now a human cat was being held captive. Could the two incidents be related? He would find out soon enough.

As the two guards dragged Catwoman, they were interrupted by a loud bang. They stopped and looked around in shock. "What was that?" They paused and listened as their eyes darted in all directions. "Do you think it's him?" One man asked as they locked eyes. Assuming the worst they put Selina down and armed their guns.

Another noise from the shadows...and then another. Different sounds started to become more frequent as the men grew with fear. "What the...! Show your self!"

"Where are you, coward!"

Suddenly, the noise stopped, and there was only silence. The two men, now sweaty with panic looked around in question, eyes wide with fright. As Batman hustled through the darkness, he saw a group of men emerge from a large open foyer, clearly looking for him. Laying Catwoman down in the safety of the shadows, Batman prepared for a viscous and bloody battle. A fist suddenly reached out from the shadows slamming into one guards face with excessive force.

The force of the punch close lined the man to the ground, and that was when Batman emerged from his place within the darkness. He stood over the man, grabbing his collar with both hands and bending down as he pulled the man up. He delivered a viscous head butt. The bloody faced man yelped at the hit, before Batman tossed him to the ground.

Another man charged and Batman ducked his tackle, hip checking him. His opponent flew into the air before landing on his back. Side stepping a third man's punch, Batman grabbed his arm and snapped it. His scream filled the air as he staggered back... Batman slammed his foot into the neck of the guard he had grounded seconds before.

A fourth and final attack punched Bruce in the back of the head before tripping him to the ground. He pulled out a gun and took aim at point blank range...

But before he could get a shot off, a loud jaguar sounded scream filled the air as Catwoman came down with her full fury, tooth and claw. The man screamed at the human-feline pinned him down and the man fought to keep her teeth from ripping his face off. Batman stepped forward, resting his hand on her back and Catwoman relaxed. Stepped off to allow Batman to play some more.

Bruce grabbed his collar and dragged him to a railing. The other side was the bear pit, which meant a forty foot fall. "Tonight, we'll see if you can fly." He told him in his rugged, rough voice. "...Who sent you? Who are you working for?"

"Ohh God, Ohh God please don't kill me." Pleaded the man, almost in tears.

"Answer me!"

"I don't know, I don't even know his name, he just calls me, and makes the arrangements. That's all...I've never even seen his face. I swear!" Explained the criminal breathing heavily with fear.

Batman gave the man a dangerous look. "Time to fly." He ordered. With that, Batman tossed the man through a window of the bird aviary, glass shattering everywhere. The man fell through, then ran quickly, screaming and arms flailing. Too bad Batman's grapple was still tethered to his feet. With a jerk, the man's legs came flying out from under him and he hit the ground. Batman repelled his grapple unleashing it from the man's leg.

Batman turned and looked into the tree tops. "I know you can see me, I know you are watching!" He said thinking of the person who had KOed him earlier in the day. "Are you going to keep testing me with your pawns...or will you show yourself?" He said, annoyed with this pointless game. Sending these men was achieving nothing, and he needed to get Selena to safety...a cure.

Catwoman's yellow eyes turned to peer at the masked marvel. Too weak to move, however, she could not seem to do much more. The attack took all the energy she had. Somewhere in the depths of her mind, a small voice whispered, "Batman." She felt suddenly alert. Selina had nearly lost herself in the haze. She had almost become a cat! The chemicals were like a siren's song, captivating and hypnotic...but she awakened enough it to remember...

There came shrill laugh, followed by a figure emerging from the shadows. She was an Amazon! Not a mousy little woman, rather tall and at her physical peak. However, she was beautiful too, with striking blue eyes and raven black hair against pale, clear skin. She gave a cruel smile. "Vhy, Batman! Is zhat your kitty love? I had no idea." Red Claw cracked her knuckles. "You are in over your head. Get out while you still can." Red Claw smirked as she held up a small vial of glowing green liquid.

Batman's head shot in the direction of the laugh as it echoed through the quiet zoo and his cape swayed behind him. Suddenly, the mysterious woman from earlier emerged out of nothingness, her wicked blue eyes locking with his own.

"...Why are you doing this to her? She does not deserve this, no matter how much of a thief she is." He stood there motionless as his cape covered his entire body. He remained still, basking in the eerie moonlight. He looked cryptic, dangerous...even frightening. Although he knew this one would not be afraid of him.

Red Claw gave a snort of amusement. "She vas just zhe lucky candidate for our test. And it worked perfectly. Already, my teams of scientist are setting smoke bombs containing the gases all over Gotham City." Red Claw smirked, putting her hands on her hips. "All of Gotham will be transformed unless they pay me!"

"Pay you what…What makes you think you would be able to control of these ... abominations?"

"I don't need to control them." Red Claw sneered. "Zhey are nothing but mindless animals. Zhey have no memory of zheir human side." She gave a jerk of her head towards the shadows where Selina backed herself into the corner, watching with large, golden eyes.

"Mindless…" Bruce turned and looked to Selena who was now backing away. What neither saw was Selina stalking through the shadows, closer. He shifted back to Red Claw. "...What if you're wrong?" As if on cue, Selina launched from the shadows, her great jaws parted, exposing long fangs and deadly claws were poised to strike. The large human feline tackled Red Claw. It took seconds for Batman to come up from behind and pull her back. "Selina, no!"

Red Claw laughed in triumph. "She is a savage animal, nothing more!" Batman turned to Red Claw with rage in his eyes. "Where is the antidote?" Red Claw climbed to her feet with a bloody nose, but a wicked smile. "Zhere isn't one." She laughed wickedly.

He looked down at Selina. Was she truly an animal now...driven solely by the instincts of survival? "So Selina...is it true…Are you mindless? Look what she has done to you...I know you're in there...I know you can feel me. Show her, Selina... Show her she is wrong." He said, trying to bring out the woman in the cat.

They say an animal is most dangerous when it is backed into a corner. The feline creature watched with large eyes as the dark capped crusader approached her. The fur bristled down her back as she arched herself. Her muzzle drew back to expose pointed fangs as a low growl rose from her throat.

Batman remained calm, approaching slowly as she revealed her impressive set of fangs. Batman just locked eyes with her, speaking almost hypnotically. "Don't be frightened... Remember when I helped you in the ally...that night those criminals jumped you...? It's me, Selina...Batman. You once told me you believed I was not the person everyone else thought I was...that you believed I fight for the side of good...And now I fight for you. The real beast here is her." He said tilting his head to Red Claw. "She has turned you into something you are not...and she is threatening to do the same to this entire city...Listen to me, let me help you."

Selina let out a hiss. But before Batman could react, she launched herself into the air, claws extended from stubby paw-like fingers. But the cat creature leapt over Batman, into Red Claw who was sneaking up on Batman with a chair, intent on bashing him over the head. The two hit the ground in a roll, Selena slashing and biting, while Red Claw was kicking and punching. Red Claw's boot connected with Selina's stomach and threw her off of Red Claw. Red Claw jumped to her feet and ran.

His eyes followed the cat over top of him and he watched with surprise as she fiercely attacked her creator. His surprise turned into a wicked grin as Red Claw got up and started to run. He quickly grabbed a dull shrunken and whipped it at her. It spun through the air quickly, slamming into the back of the woman's knee.

She stumbled to the ground and Batman now walked dangerously. "She is more human than you thought." He placed himself over Red Claw, bent down, and picked her up by the collar with both hands. He pinned her back against a wall hard and there was now anger in his voice. "Tell me how to reverse the process, now...or I swear I will let this cat tear you limb from limb.

Red Claw only glared. "She iz an animal, blood thirsty beast. Maybe too big to be a pet pussy cat, but I'm sure you would find a place for her." Red Claw laughed. "I didn't make a cure." With that, Red Claw slammed her knee hard into Batman's stomach and shoved him hard. Strong from years of life as an organized crime boss and terrorist, Red Claw definitely had power to her punch.

As she shoved him away Batman bent down trying to recover from her powerful blow. Straightening back up slowly he looked back to Selina... "Then, I guess you will have to deal with your own creation." With that Batman shot a grapple into the sky and evaded into the darkness, leaving Red Claw and Selena alone together.

Selena ran towards Red Claw, ready to fight her tooth and claw. Red Claw balled up her hands into fist and flexed her muscles. "Here kitty, kitty, kitty." She snarled. The cat creature leapt at her and Red Claw drew back her fist. Then, she lit it fly. Red Claw nailed Selena in the forehead. Selena's head snapped back and she fell to the ground with a thud. Red Claw smiled and walked away. As she left, henchman filed in behind her. "Send out the word of Red Claw. We hold the city at ransom."

As the henchmen surrounded Selina, she suddenly was pulled up into the darkness rapidly. Batman unhooked his grapple from her leg and carried her in his arms. They slipped out of the zoo, soaring to safety.

In the darkness of the Batcave, Selina lay on a solitary bed. Close by, Batman analyzed a blood sample. Selena watched Batman as he analyzed her blood. Still, somewhere deep inside was the human. But cat instincts still overwhelmed the senses. Her tail twitched nervously as she watched, but not attacking or running away.

Batman caught the movement out of the corner of his eye, turning to her slowly.

"Catwoman...Selina." He said speaking softly. "...You are safe here." He stood up and walked towards her slowly. When he was close enough, he reached a hand up slowly, letting her smell it as if she were with a true cat. Slowly his hand moved to Selina's cheek, and he caressed it softly. "I am not here to hurt you...not like that Amazon. I want to help you...a friend." He said locking eyes with her.

Her nose twitched at his extended hand. Deciding to trust him, Selena leaned into the caress as her eyes closed slowly. Her distorted human features barely showed the woman inside. With a sigh, Selena slumped down on the table. She couldn't speak; her vocal cords were no longer meant to speak. Her stubby fingers could not write, even if she could muster up the memory of what writing was. Selena let out a long yowl.

Bruce took off his mask revealing his identity to Selina, or what was left of her. As he did so the elevator lowered with Alfred standing in it, holding a silver tray. The hum of the machinery stopped as the doors slid open with a crack. "I see young Ms. Kyle has awaken, Master Bruce." Bruce turned to him, making sure to stay in between the cat woman and Alfred.

"I don't know how to reverse this, Alfred. She inhaled some kind of gas, which has gradually mutated her genetic code. Her DNA is like the mix of some kind of human-feline hybrid."

"Well, Master...I though that since she refuses to eat, that maybe I was catering to the wrong...personality, shall we say. I found my self asking what a cat would like." Alfred held the tray forward, revealing a glass of milk. Bruce smiled.

"I don't know if she'll like it, but we can try." Bruce took the milk from Alfred before turning to Selina. He walked up to her, as he got closer his outstretched hand raised the glass of milk to her. "Don't tell me your lactose intolerant." Bruce said calmly, waiting for her reaction.

Selena sniffed the out stretched hand holding the milk. Slowly she took the glass with her stubby paw-like fingers and lapped at the milk slowly at first, then quickly, watching the two men with large, yellow eyes.

Bruce smiled at her. "Looks like she won't die of hunger after all... I'm going out, Alfred. If she gets out of hand, you know what to do." He said referring to Alfred's ability to use a tranquilizer gun. "Yes, Master Bruce." With that, Batman put his mask on. That night, Batman returned several times with different drugs and antidotes...or what he hoped would be an antidote. Nothing seemed to help, not enough to rewrite Selina's DNA to human. Bruce was hunched over his slowly growing chemistry set with his mask off. Dark circle were forming under his eyes from lack of sleep and worry.

As the sun rose, Alfred returned. "Ah, sir, you might want to turn on channel 12, Red Claw is making her demands." Bruce looked back at Alfred. "Red Claw?" Alfred nodded his head, "Yes, sir, the international terrorist, this is the first time he's...she's...ever revealed herself. Fancy that, all this time they've been searching for a man." Bruce nodded his head, furrowing his brow. "Red Claw, this is bigger than I thought, maybe even bigger than the League of Shadows." Bruce pressed his lips into a thin line. Alfred flipped on a large flat screen TV that had been set up in the Batcave so Bruce could monitor the news while developing his Batman network of surveillance across the city.

"Zhere are hundreds of bombs across zhe city..." Red Claw said. Batman looked back at Selina, asleep on the examination table with her paws tucked under her chin. "I have to save the city, Alfred, and maybe I can save her in the process." Alfred followed Bruce's gaze. "None of the drugs are working, sir?" Bruce shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry, sir."

Selina slowly opened her eyes. Her ears twitched at the sounds of voices. She knew one of those voices. "Bruce?" She sat up. Bruce and Alfred's head jerked to look at Selina.

"W-Where am I? What happened?" She looked around, trying to make sense of  
what she saw. Dark. Rocky. Water. A cave? "Bruce?" Her eyes focused on the prince of Gotham dressed in black. The last thing she remembered was facing Batman and Man-Bat appearing. "Selina." Relief crossed his face and all the tension washed away. Bruce rushed to Selina's side. "Oh, Selina." He hugged her to him. "I thought I had lost you for good..." Selina looked confused. "Bruce, you're...you are Batman?" Then she felt her face, realizing she did not feel the familiar hug of her mask or bodysuit. A look of sadness crossed Bruce's face, knowing she would not like what she found out.

Selina's stubby paw-like finger found her face to be covered in fur. She explored further as her eyes grew large with fear. A muzzle? Whiskers? Selina started twisting about, trying to look at herself. "Oh my God...Oh God!" She looked to Bruce. "What happened to me?" She wailed. Bruce looked away, not sure how to explain without scaring her further. "The terrorist, Red Claw, used you as a test subject for her mutanagneic chemicals...and it worked just as she expected." He looked back to Selina. "I can't seem to find a cure." Selina's mouth hung open and her huge eyes told him that Selina did not like this news. "And, yes, I am Batman." He added with a weak smile. "Red Claw has issued a demand for money or else she will do what she did to you to all of Gotham. We have to find and stop her, and maybe then we can find a cure when I've captured her scientists."

Selina nodded slowly. "I will help you." She slid off of the examination table. Bruce nodded. "I know. We start looking at the zoo." With that, he pulled on his mask and gave Selina a faint smile. "Aren't we a conspicuous pair, Catwoman?" Selina managed a faint smile, "I suppose so, Batman." He pointed to the tumbler. "We'll take my other car." Selina looked over his shoulder and nodded. "So, how many other girls have you taken to your cave?" She smirked as they climbed into his 'car.' "Well…one other, but I was saving her life." Bruce gave a sheepish smile. "Scout's honor." With that, the engines roared to life and off they rode.

At the zoo, Red Claw looked at her watch. "Zhey have twenty-four hours, I do hope zhey wait till zhe last minute, I always did think zhe mayor looked like a monkey in a suit." She chuckled in amusement. Then the terrorist heard something she did not expect, a high pitched scream. In through the window came Man-Bat. The gruesome creature stood like a man, but that was about where the similarities ended. He was covered in a thick brown coat of fur with a broad flat chest. His arms were long with long, bony fingers and leathery webbing of skin that formed his wings. His legs were small and shriveled, barely strong enough to hold him upright, while his claw-tipped toes were strong and made for gripping. And, above all that, he had a bat's head with a push up little nose and huge ears and eyes. With a high pitched keening, Man-Bat attacked Red Claw--she was having terrible luck with her animal-human creations--and took out her henchmen with little to no effort. His was strong, stronger than one would expect from a human bat.

Then Batman appeared, followed by Catwoman…erh, the cat woman. Catwoman cornered a scientist. "Change me back!" She hissed, picking the man up by his shirt and slamming him against the wall. The man spoke in Russian, but he obviously knew she wanted to change back. He pointed violently at a freezer in the corner of the room. Catwoman dragged him to the freezer and opened the door. The man fumbled about as he withdrew a bottle with yellow liquid inside. Selina grabbed the bottle. "Batman, I have the antidote." She declared.

Meanwhile, Batman had Red Claw and Man-Bat to deal with. He pounced, first on Man-Bat, who seemed to be doing the most damage. "How about we test that theory?" He called to Catwoman as Man-Bat threw himself about the room to get Batman off his back. Selina nodded, grabbing a needle and filling it with the liquid. With a mighty leap, Catwoman bounded across the room to Batman who rode Man-Bat like a cowboy would ride a bucking bronco. With a hiss, Catwoman swung her claws, scratching Man-Bat across the face. The monster threw himself away from Catwoman, screaming bloody hell and holding his face as fresh blood leaked out. Selina took that moment to stab him in the leg with the antidote. At first, nothing happened, and then slowly, Man-Bat reverted to human. Batman slowly sat up. "That's going to leave a burse." He muttered, rubbing his head. Selina smiled. "It worked, now it's my turn!" She held up the bottle, admiring it for a moment, knowing that shortly, she'd be human again.

"Not a chance!" Red Claw swung her fist, knocking the bottle from Catwoman's hand. The bottle hit the wall and shattered. "No!" Catwoman screamed. She spun around, her claws cutting across Red Claw's face. "You're going to pay for that!" Selina hissed as the fur down her back bristled. She drew back her lips, exposing her fangs. "Selina! No!" From behind, Batman tackled the Catwoman to the floor. Red Claw took that opportunity to escape. She bolted out of the room and was gone. "Bruce! She's escaping!" Selina yowled. "Relax, Selina." Batman purred, trying to calm her down. Selina shook her head. "Bruce, that was the only yellow bottle in the freezer that was the only antidote." Tears filled Selina Kyle's eyes. Bruce felt a cold lump rise up in his throat.

Man-Bat…now human…slowly stood up. His head hurt and was a bit dizzy. Holding his hand to his head, he realized he was human again! "Oh…Oh! I'm human!" He cheered, and then saw the cat woman and Batman. "But you're not." His head turned to the yellow stain in the wall where the bottle had been thrown. "Oh…" He looked back at Batman and Catwoman. Batman looked to the transformed Man-Bat. Their eyes met and Man-Bat nodded. "I can do it, I know the formula." Selina looked up, tears streaming down her furry face. "Can you?" Man-Bat nodded.

He led them to a back room which was obviously a laboratory. Man-Bat was once one of Red Claw's scientist, he helped create the chemicals. He also helped make the antidote. Taking a sample of his blood, then some of Catwoman's, he began his work. "Selina, you stay here, I still have Red Claw to deal with." Batman turned down the hall to follow Red Claw's trail.

The terrorist leader had her goons unloading military trucks with large boxes and canisters of gasoline. "This can't be good." They moved with a surprising pace, clearly intent on blowing up the zoo, covering their tracks…it would also kill Selina and the scientist Man-Bat. "Over there!" A henchman shouted and they opened fire on Batman. He hit the ground and rolled behind a bronze statue of a lion on a rock. The sounds of bullets bouncing off the statue.

With a flick of his wrist, Batman threw a shrunken, which hit the muzzle of the offending gun. The gun was knocked out of the thug's hands. Taking the opening, Batman tackled the gunman. Taking the man up by the collar, Batman threw the man into the mess of his friends. "Get zhese trucks moving!" Came a familiar voice. Batman turned to see Red Claw waving her hand for the trucks to go.

"Vhy, Batman, vhere is your kitty friends?" Red Claw turned to face him, a wicked smirk upon her face. "Bad case of zhe hairballs, perhaps?" Batman approached her slowly, his cape falling over his shoulders, concealing his form. "Give up, Red Claw, you won't win." He said, stepping closer and closer. "Not a chance." She hissed, lunging at the dark knight. Batman parried her attack. They traded punches and kicked, both dodging and taking hits. Red Claw knocked him in the face, slitting his lip. Batman punched her in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her. Taking advantage of her distraction, Batman grabbed her arms and bound them behind her back.

In the distance, sounds of sirens could be heard. Someone must have noticed the unusual activity at the zoo after hours. "Perfect." Batman muttered. He strung Red Claw up by a light poll, somewhere for the police to find her. Through interrogation of one of Red Claw's goons, Batman was told everything, location of the bombs, how to disarm them, and so on. While the police cleaned up the town, Batman returned to see the progress with Catwoman.

"Finished!" He declared the completion of his work. Injecting Catwoman, Selina gasped, "Oooh…oh…" before passing out. Catwoman was returned to her human state. Batman took off his cape and covered her as she fully became human again. "Thank you, for all you've done." He looked to the young scientist Langdon. "Thank you for saving her." Once Selina had returned to human form, Batman and Catwoman made a quick departure as the police arrived inside the compound.

Human once more, Selina looked to Batman as they perched on roof top looking down at the city. "Bruce…" Her large blue eyes looked at her handsome Dark Knight. "Yes, Selina?" He looked down, offering a faint smile. Selina smiled in return, reaching up to his face. Her hands caressed his cheeks as her soft lips found his. They kissed deeply under the stars. His strong arms pulled her close as they kissed. Perhaps they were an odd couple, but they were perfect together. The Batman and the Catwoman, the masked vigilantes of Gotham City….


End file.
